


Forgive Me

by Owlwithafringe



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Left at the Altar, M/M, Reconciliation, Temporary Cold Feet, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-23
Updated: 2015-10-23
Packaged: 2018-04-27 15:53:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5054767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Owlwithafringe/pseuds/Owlwithafringe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur leaves Merlin at the altar in a sudden fit of cold feet. After Morgana makes him realise how badly he just cocked up, his only aim is to find Merlin and convince him to give him a second chance.</p><p>The question is, will Merlin forgive him or not?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Forgive Me

**Author's Note:**

> I received two prompts on Tumblr ages ago (so long ago the prompters probably forgot they ever even sent them) which I mushed into one fic. This has been sitting half finished on my desktop for months now and I finally finished it. Sorry for the delay, and I hope you enjoy.
> 
>  _'Arthur and Merlin are to be married but suddenly Arthur gets cold feet and leaves Merlin at the ceremony. Merlin is devastated and runs away to God knows where, but unknown to him Arthur finally realizes he's finally ready to get married but it's too late. happy ending please but a still a lot of angst and groveling in between, because I love pleading!arthur._ '
> 
>  
> 
> _'"I want to spend forever with you, if tomorrow's not too late."'_

It's easy to have regrets. Small things, that perhaps some years in the future you'll think, 'What a shame I never did that' or 'I wish I had done that'. Things like going to see that film at the cinema with your mates but having to cancel at the last minute because something at work popped up. Things like that exam which you could have revised more for in college but decided to go out partying with your sister instead. Such unexceptional things, that in the long run, they don't really matter.

But then there are the big regrets. The regrets that this single decision would change the path of your life forever. Regrets that would leave you a bitter and lonely old man, wondering how you managed to waste your life without realising.

Arthur liked to pride himself on living without regrets. He had one life and it seemed a shame to waste it, but this time he’d fucked up. He’d fucked really badly.

He’d panicked alright? He was stupid, unbelievably so. He had ruined the best thing in his life because he’d freaked out. 

It was supposed to be the best day of his life. He was supposed to be marrying the man he loved more than anything but instead he had managed to break Merlin’s heart instead. Perhaps it was for the better. All Arthur would do would make him unhappy anyway. Maybe he was saving Merlin.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

The voice of his sister broke his thoughts. Apparently she had followed him out of the church probably to yell at him. He steeled himself up for the onslaught. “What?”

She marched towards him, heels clicking against the stone ground with the determination of a soldier going to war. “What do you mean ‘what’? I said what the fuck do you think you’re doing out here?”

Arthur crossed his arms across his chest and averted his gaze away from her and onto the street ahead of him. People passed by without blinking at him, completely oblivious to the man in front of the church internally breaking down. “Actually, I think you said ‘hell’ not ‘fuck’.”

The weather didn’t change but it felt like the temperature dropped to arctic levels. “Oh no Arthur Pendragon, I have known you too long for you to try that crap with me.”

Arthur turned to her, opening his arms wide. “What do you want me to say Morgana? Really? I’d love to hear your input.”

Morgana’s perfectly plucked eyebrows rose scarily close to her hairline. “How about you start at the bit where you left the love of your life at the altar? That’s probably a good place to start.”

“He’s better off without me. He deserves someone better.” It was the truth wasn’t it? 

“Arthur, are you even hearing yourself right now? Is there anything going on in that tiny brain of yours of yours? That man loves you and you love him. I totally agree that he could do better but for some reason he’s decided to settle with you so for the love of everything holy, go and get your happily ever after.”

There was a moment of silence where everything seemed to stop as the words sunk into Arthur. He suddenly drained of his cockiness, his face becoming decidedly pale as he turned to his step sister reminding her of the little boy who used to turn to her for help when he did something bad. “Oh God, what have I done Morgana?”

“We’re all used to you doing stupid shit, but this sort of takes the biscuit. You have to fix it. There’s still time, and even if there wasn’t that Pendragon stubbornness has to come in use for something.” Morgana replied laying a soft hand on Arthur’s shoulder in a rare display of physical comfort.

“Fix it? How do I fix?” He sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. “I really cocked this one up didn’t I?”

“Yeah, you did.” She agreed with a sad smile. “Go and find him and explain. It’s really the only way.”

“Do you think he’ll ever forgive me?”

The question hung in the air for a beat, Arthur dreading the answer his sister would give him. He knew she would never be anything but brutally honest.

“Of course he will. He’s Merlin.”

Arthur hoped desperately that it would be true. “Where is he?”

“He ran out just after you did.”

Arthur nodded. His brain buzzed with multiple ideas as to where Merlin could be before it landed on one that was probably the most likely. He hoped he was right. “Tell everyone to stay. Hopefully there’ll still be a wedding.”

“Good luck little brother.”

Arthur’s feet pounded against the cobbled pavement as he raced towards his location. It was about a five minute walk away but Arthur intended to make it there in one. He didn’t know quite what he’d find when he got there but he hoped against everything that Merlin would be there. 

He pushed past random pedestrians who gave the running man in a tuxedo funny looks and as he ran across the road to his destination, he was nearly hit by a car. He heard the squealing of tyres and the angry voice telling him to look where he was going, but it didn’t matter. He was there: the park where he proposed to Merlin all those months ago.

As Arthur ventured in, he could see Merlin slumped over on the bench where it all happened originally. He was a figure in black, hunched in on himself as the ducks in the lake in front swam by without a care.

“Merlin?”

Merlin started up, before slowly turning around. His face was ashen and tear stained. Those bright blue eyes were impossibly sad and Arthur was struck by a weight of guilt crashing down onto his shoulders: he had done that. 

“Arthur?” His voice is weak and small. Arthur risks a step closer to the bench. Merlin turns back around again and slumps forward to Arthur’s despair. He edges closer to the bench before taking a seat next to Merlin making sure to keep a gap between them. He wasn’t entirely sure if Merlin wanted him anywhere near him.

Arthur studied for a moment. Merlin looked so small and fragile. It was wrong, so completely and utterly wrong from what he should be. He should be laughing and making quips not sat in defeat. 

Arthur’s throat constricts as he tries to talk. Words were never particularly his strong point but he knew how vital these words would be. “I don’t know what to say Merlin, other than I am so sorry. If this is the only time in my life that I ever apologise then it is right now to you. I should never have done this to you. I love you Merlin, more than anything.”

Merlin’s reply was so quiet that Arthur almost thought he’d imagined the words: “Then why?”

Arthur’s gaze dropped down to his shoes as the fidgeted on the ground. “You are fantastic Merlin. You are the most wonderful person I have ever met. You are funny and caring and loving and loyal and fierce and brave and kind and everything that I am not. I have never met anyone like you before and I never will because you are truly unique Merlin and I love you for all your qualities. You deserve far better than me.”

“Don’t you see Arthur?” Something in Merlin’s voice made him look up to Merlin watching him. “You are all those things. You just happen to be a colossal clotpole on top of that too.”

Arthur snorted at the insult and shook his head in exasperation. The whole universe was laughing at him, he was sure of it.

“You’re right, maybe I do deserve better than Arthur 'more money than middlenames' Pendragon,” Merlin continued, his voice small but solid and firm, “but that is my choice to make. Not yours. And I chose you Arthur. I still choose you.”

Arthur’s head snapped back to look at Merlin. “Are you saying..?”

"If you pull anything like that again-"

"You'll chuck me and my beautiful behind out on the streets?" Arthur interrupted with a a slightly sad smile, the charming fucker. Merlin could feel his insides squirming with butterflies that should have disappeared years ago, but still managed to pop up whenever Arthur was near.

Merlin raised a challenging eyebrow and smirked. Arthur didn't like that smirk: it usually meant bad news. "No, I'll leave you to the tender clutches of the shit storm that is your sister and Gwen, with their bountiful and fierce wrath."

Arthur paled significantly, something Merlin took a satisfied and twisted pleasure from.

"Fair point. Arthur swallowed nervously and in uncharacteristic display of honesty.

"So Mr Emrys. I want to spend forever with you, if tomorrow's not too late. What do you say?"

Merlin paused, prolonging the moment by pretending to think it over; mostly for dramatic effect. He already knew his answer but a moment of torture was the least Arthur deserved. "I'd say we better call my Mother and tell her to let the registrar go home."

Arthur smiled then, a mixture of relief, pure overwhelming joy and love, and Merlin knew just like that, everything was going to be okay.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to leave kudos and comments, feedback is always appreciated and motivates me to write more! Come and find me on Tumblr at **[Owlwithafringe](http://owlwithafringe.tumblr.com/)** , to see updates on fics or to leave me a prompt.


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